Dark Lord's Heir
by DarkestNightWolf
Summary: The Dark Lord adopts a young boy to be his heir, however when Voldemort is defeated by Harry this boy is forced to attend Hogwarts. Whilst there he meets someone who could save him from his dark path, their friendship could change the future. Starts before Philosopher's stone. DMHG other pairings may follow. EWE.
1. Chapter 1

**This story starts early on in the lives of our 2 main characters, the first couple of chapters will set the scene and the story proper will start after, it will include Dramione.**

**Chapter 1- Your daughter is a witch.**

**Hermione Granger.**

Hermione woke up to the sound of her dads alarm ringing in the room next door. The abusive noise was quickly shut off, the house fell silent again as each member of the small family tried to return to the comforting arms of sleep. Hermione snuggled deep into her warm duvet and hid her face from the light that peeked through the curtains. From next door came her father's moan as he surrendered to the inevitable moment when he must step out into the cold air. The floor boards creaked as her parents moved around their room. She listened as they showered and cleaned their teeth, then they were back in their room again.

Dishes clattered in the kitchen downstairs as her bedroom door creaked slowly open. Her father's smiling face appeared in the doorway; he smiled when he saw she was already awake. The springs in her bed groaned as he perched himself at the foot.

"Morning Mione! Both your mother and I will be out late at work tonight so we've arranged for Melanie to visit. We'll come and collect you later, OK?" Hermione nodded her ascent and her father gave her a quick hug before leaving the room. He called out to her mum at the same time to tell her to hurry up or they would be late. Hermione crept out of bed and pulled her blanket around her, she snuck down the landing as quietly as she could, treading carefully to try and avoid the creaks. She giggled triumphantly when she reached to stairs with no noise and settled on the top step to watch her parents leave. Her mother called goodbye as she shrugged on her white doctor's coat over her smart black shirt and her father pulled the door open. He stepped out, calling over his shoulder to her mother to hurry up, and walked straight into a woman in the doorway.

The woman in the doorway was very tall with grey hair pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Her features were sharp and stern although smile lines pulled at the corners of her lips. What was most strange about her however was her clothing; she wore deep emerald green robes that fell right to the floor and on her head rested a tall pointed witch's hat with a wide rim. The top of the hat was slightly bent and several long thin feathers protruded over the rim. Hermione's father looked startled for a moment before he frowned and gestured to his wife to come. The woman cleared her throat and began to speak. She had a Scottish accent.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Granger I presume?" Hermione's parents nodded their assent.

"I have come on behalf of the headmaster of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry to explain to you both that your daughter has received a place and also to explain to you both the meaning of this." Her parent's looked at the woman with pity; clearly her age was getting to her.

"My daughter has already received a very good scholarship to a respectable school, now, if you would excuse us we both need to get to work." Then, quick as a snake the woman pulled a long, thin stick from her robe.

"Hogwarts is not an ordinary school Mr. and Mrs. Granger, it is a very well know school among our kind."

"Your kind? Now, we really do not have time for this!"

"Yes, our kind, your daughter is a witch…"

"That is quite enough! I will not have you coming here and insulting my daughter in that way!"

"You misunderstand me! I am also a witch." The woman waved the stick in her hand and then pointed it at the door knocker. Slowly the brass seemed to flow and change, then it shook its self and roared loudly; now a living metal lion's head. The Granger's eyes were like saucers, staring at the blatant magic that had just been performed in front of them.

"I think I better come in and explain…" Hermione's father stepped back weakly and opened the door wide to let her in.

"I'll just m…make a quick call t…to work, t…tell them we can't come in today?" Mrs. Granger hurried down the hallway to the phone as her husband settled both himself and their unusual guest in the living room.

**A couple of days later…**

Hermione bounced on her toes excitedly; she had woken up at 5 that morning and dressed in a rush. The remainder of the morning had been spent alternately pestering her parents as to how much longer and imagining what the Wizarding world would be like. Professor McGonagall had arranged to meet the family in London at 12 so that she could help them with shopping for Hermione's school supplies.

The car journey had been long and boring; Hermione related all she knew about the Wizarding world, which was decidedly little, to her parents for the hundredth time and chattered to her self about all the wonderful lessons she would learn and spells she would use. Her particular favorite at the time was the animation spell used by McGonagall, possibly because this was the only spell she had actually seen performed.

The Grangers met Professor McGonagall at the arranged address. The street had been deserted one minute; the family had been worrying that the witch would not show, then suddenly there was a slight pop and the woman's voice came from behind.

"Good afternoon Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger and Hermione" she said, nodding to each of them in turn. "I am about to give you your first insight into the Wizarding world, if you would come this way please." With that the woman turned and walked towards a very dark and dingy looking pub. Hermione's parents looked up at the creaking sign doubtfully before following the Professor in.

Inside the pub was remarkably different o the exterior. The room was large and light with several large pine tables scattered around. Several doors made of solid dark wood led off into what Hermione assumed were other rooms and a rickety looking staircase led up to the bedrooms. The floor was also a light pine and a bar of dark polished wood ran along the left side. Behind the bar stood a wizened old man and he grinned at the group as they walked in, baring yellowed teeth. McGonagall hurried the small family through the pub and out through a back door into a tiny cobbled courtyard at the rear. In front of them was a red brick wall with moss and lichen growing in spirals across its surface. In one corner was an over flowing bin with a single fly buzzing around it.

McGonagall stepped up to the wall and tapped a slightly paler brick with her wand. The bricks then began to shuffle and grate against one another, shifting position until they formed a high archway leading out into a bustling street. Hermione caught her breath in amazement; they looked out on a small street that twisted away out of view. The shops on either side leant in over her head until they almost touched making the street appear smaller than it was. At first glance the shops were all dark and dingy, however they all boasted rich coloured signs that declared things such as; 'Venomous Tentacula Seeds- 1 galleon each!' and 'White Mice- buy one get its companion half price'. The shops displayed there wares in fascinating window displays; in Madam Malkin's Robes for all occasions was a set of deep blue floor-length crushed velvet robes with white lace around the collar and sleeves, it hung as if it was being worn and danced with deep blue dress that glittered with silver embroidery and hundreds of tiny diamonds. In the next window were piles of cauldrons and scales, ladles and vials ranging from smaller than Hermione's little finger up to so large she doubted she could wrap her arms around them. Across from here was a shop surrounded by a crowd of boys, they were staring at something in the window and Hermione heard one of them whisper;

"The new nimbus 2000! The fastest broom ever! Cor…"

In the next shop was a large array of birds, from a tiny grey creature that zoomed around it cage to huge regal black bird with yellow eyes and hooked talons as big as Hermione's hand. A little way down the road was a window filled with jars, each containing samples of slimy objects floating in green liquid or piles of coloured powders. Across from that was a shop filled with hissing cats and leathery toads, she even thought she saw a couple of bats. The people in the streets were just as strange and interesting as the window displays; she saw a tall woman with platinum blond hair striding down the street, she was dressed in clean, neat black robes, at her side was a man with identical coloured hair that hung down to his shoulders. He carried a black cane in one hand, the top decorated with a silver snake. The milling crowd made space for the pair and a few of those that caught the couple's eyes seemed to cower slightly. At the other end of the street was a tall witch in a long brown fur coat, she carried a green crocodile skin handbag and wore a hat with a large stuffed vulture on the top. Behind her she dragged a small round-faced boy that kept stumbling over a trailing shoelace.

Hermione's mum squeezed her hand lightly; together they then followed after McGonagall. It was hard work moving through the crowded street and Hermione was disappointed that the crowds stopped her seeing the window displays. After several minutes walk they stopped outside a huge marble building Gold lettering on the front read 'Gringots'.

"Mum, what's that?" She asked, pointing up at the white building. It was the professor that answered though,

"This, Hermione is Gringots, the Wizarding bank." Hermione stared in awe as they passed through the huge metal doors and into a huge room filed with liveried creatures. "Gringots is run by goblins, the vaults of Wizarding families are through there…" she gestured to an archway made out of engraved and embossed metal set with hundreds of gems in every colour, the archway then opened straight into a hewn rock tunnel that disappeared off into the gloom, occasionally sounds like a rollercoaster echoed through from beyond, or a decidedly ill looking group of witches or wizards would walk out. "However as you currently possess no wizard money you may change your currency over here." McGonagall gestured to a small desk where and irritable goblin counted their money, he then removed a small pile of large gold coins and counted them out, quickly followed by a number of smaller silver coins and finally a pile of little bronze ones.

"And that is 100 galleons, 200 sickles and 50 knuts." McGonagall quickly scraped the money into a leather bag and handed it to Mr. Granger.

"This should be enough for your daughter's first year; however you will need to change more in the future. Now I think our first stop should be Madam Malkin's to buy some school uniform, then on to buy your potions ingredients and cauldron, after I think it would be advisable to get school books, followed by a quick trip to buy quills, ink and parchment. Finally we should go to Ollivander's to buy a wand. You can make a trip to buy a familiar during the Christmas or next summer as it is generally more advisable to look after spending a little time in the Wizarding world."

At Madam Malkin's robes for all occasions they bought a set of plain black robes with a Hogwarts crest over the left chest. Madam Malkin told her it would change to show her house allegiance once she had been sorted. The skirt, socks and jumper were plain grey and would also later be trimmed in her house colours. She had to wear a white shirt and a striped tie, yet again it would change to show her house allegiance after her sorting ceremony. By far the best bits were the thick black cloak and the pointed wizard's hat, they were classically witchy and the cloak was warm; it hung right from her shoulders down to her feet and brushed the floor every time she moved. They paid for the whole lot and left the shop burdened by numerous lumpy packages.

The next stop was the apothecary where they would buy all the potions ingredients. The shop was very dark and heavily fragranced. The shelves were stacked high above Hermione's head and filled with jars, boxes, draws and bottles, large barrels were clustered in every available space that wouldn't block access to the shelves and everything was clearly labeled by a white tag with its price, name and in many cases, date and place of origin. She saw things that sounded nice such as 'Unicorn Hair- Hogwarts, 1975', 'Essence of Dittany', 'Dried Mandrake Flowers- 1956' and a beautiful blue powder named 'Cornish Pixie Dust- 1990'. However most of the wares were gross; 'Pickled Dragon's Liver- 1768' and 'Mermaid Droppings- Singapore' did not sound so nice, most intriguing however were the ones in miniscule vials at the back of the room, locked away in a secure chest; a vial with a bulb no bigger than her thumbnail was filled with phoenix tears. She met McGonagall at the desk to buy her basic potions ingredients and read the signs whilst she counted out the money. 'Any ingredients missing? Ask Tom for assistance' and 'Need advice on a recipe? Ask Tom or assistance'.

They bought her cauldron, scales, telescope and crystal vials in the shop next door, but that wasn't all it sold, it sold crystal balls, star charts and globes, not only the pewter cauldron that Hermione would need but also solid gold, glass, crystal, brass and some metals Hermione hadn't even heard of. There was a clock that told you the current position of the stars and a small object that told you when someone untrustworthy was around.

The book shop immediately became her favorite shop on the entire street, it was warm and smelled slightly musky and she felt herself relax as soon as she entered. They quickly found all the necessary set books so McGonagall suggested that Hermione remained here an selected a few extra to read in her own time whilst she and her parents went to go buy quills and parchment; Hermione only too readily agreed. When the trio left she quickly settled down and browsed around, selecting a dozen books from around the shop, when her parents returned to get her they smiled at the sight of her reading 'Great events of the 20th century'. Just as they were leaving the shop a large book on the desk caught her eye, it was bound in deep brown leather and gold lettering across the front read 'Hogwarts- a history', her father sighed when she pointed it out but, knowing that he would get no rest until he did, he returned to the counter and bought the additional tome.

Ollivander's was a small shop with a very dirty window, on display was a single wand on a dusty purple pillow. Her mother pushed the door open and deep within the shop a bell rang. It was very quiet room with shelves disappearing out of sight towards a high ceiling. The shelves were filled with boxes of various different sizes and shapes, suddenly a man stepped into view, he spoke making them all jump. "Good evening, Minerva McGonagall, who have you brought to me today?" He had silver eyes which raked over the entire group before settling on Hermione, "ah I see, well I better take some measurements." He snapped his fingers and a small silver tape began to measure her arm length and then proceeded to measure every part of her body, including the distance between her two nostrils. Ollivander started to speak, at the same time pulling boxes out, seemingly at random from the shelves. "The wand, Miss. Granger, chooses the wizard; of course some try to pick a wand however you will never get quite the same results from another wizard's wand. I remember every wand I have sold Miss. Granger, for example Minerva here was a perfect match for a Fir and Dragon heartstring wand, 9½" long. A very powerful wand; although it showed a special affinity for transfiguration. No two wands are the ever the same, they can be similar, but never the same." He climbed off his ladder and opened the first in his pile of boxes, out of it he pulled a long pale stick; it was intricately carved with leaves at the bottom. "Hazel and Unicorn Hair, 10 ¾" stiff" Hermione grasped it uncertainly, she waved her arm and nothing happened, Ollivander frowned and snatched the wand away, "no, ah how about this, Cherry and Dragon Heart String, 12" springy", as soon as she touched the wand a jet of red light exploded out of the end and hit the floor leaving a large scorch mark. "NO! Definitely no! How about this, Vine and Dragon Heart String, 10 ¾" unyielding". Hermione took the wand cautiously, not wishing for a repeat of the last time, as soon as she held it in her hand a warm feeling spread through her body and a fountain of harmless gold sparks poured out the end. Her parents and Ollivander applauded loudly. "Very good, very good" he cried, "That is a very powerful wand you have there, quick to learn new spells and techniques and very loyal."

Hermione and her family left Diagon Alley laden with strangely shaped parcels and packages, they bid goodbye to Professor McGonagall outside they leaky cauldron, but before she left she handed Hermione an envelope, "here is your ticket to get on the Hogwarts express, it leaves from platform 9 ¾ at exactly 11:00 on September the 1st. you will need to run at the barrier between platform 9 and 10 at Kings Cross Station in London. Muggles can't get through so you will need to say goodbye on the muggle side, Good Luck." She disappeared with a slight pop.

**For those of you that want to see the dress from Madam Malkin's type in 'blue-embroidery-ball-gwon-gothic-wedding-dress' to google, its on a site called devilnight.**

**So that's Chapter 1. Chapter 2 will be from Draco's PoV and we will meet him a little earlier than 11.**

**R&R guys, always much appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2- Elder and Basilisk Venom**

**Draco Malfoy**

Draco watched as Bellatrix outlined her plan to the few remaining loyal Death Eaters, after the defeat of the dark lord several years previous, many had handed themselves in; Lucius Malfoy, Dolores Umbridge, Mcnaire, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson. The number appalled him. Despite their greatly decreased numbers however, a few still tried to find their lord and return him to power. It was these remaining few that were in the highest tower of the Lestrange castle, putting the finishing touches on a plan that they hoped would gain them valuable intelligence on the location of Voldemort.

Bella glanced over to where Draco sat on a raised chair so he could still see what was going on. Bella was Draco's aunt and best friend, it was only because of her that he could still take part in death eater activities; she took him away from his parent's manor at the weekends or on the nights of prestigious balls when he would be a hindrance to them. Tonight was one such night; the summer ball and Bella had volunteered to 'babysit' him.

The map on the table showed a small village in the welsh countryside. It was surrounded by hills and the only way to reach it was by a small road that wound 16 miles over heathery moorland to the nearest town. A small river ran around the edge of the houses and a wood blanketed the nearest slopes. This romantic setting was the next target, specifically a medium sized house at the very fringe of the village. The building had been highlighted in red ink and four miniature black figures labeled in neat handwriting moved around the outside of the building, positioning themselves according to Bellatrix's instructions.

The house belonged to Frank and Alice Longbottom and their baby son; Neville Longbottom. They were both aurors and they had been detailed as priority targets by the Dark Lord only weeks before his disappearance. In short the plan was to break in, get to the family, torture the truth out of them and kill them all, then get out before the ministry arrive. They would go in 3 groups; one group consisting of Mulciber and Yaxely would fly in on brooms and scout the area and make sure that the Longbottoms were at home. They would then move into positions to watch and give early warning of ministry retaliation. Bella, Draco, Crouch Jr. and Rodolphus would then apparate as close as they could to the Longbottoms home and enter with as little fuss as possible. Crouch and Rodolphus would search the house for anything whilst Draco and Bellatrix dealt with the family. The four would then dissapparate after sending up the dark mark, as soon as they saw the mark the other two would then follow.

**A few hours later…**

The little village was quiet, every house dark; its occupants asleep. A dog barked in the distance and leaves stirred gently in a soft breeze. In the last house at the end of the street a small family slumbered, oblivious to the danger that was now striding down the pavement towards them, clad in long black robes and silver skull masks. The figures stopped in the doorway and one of them raised his wand and pointed it at the door. With a bang the door exploded inwards, a siren went off; wailing a distress call into the still night. The noise was silenced by a quick flick of a wand. Rodolphus and Crouch Jr. began to search the house methodically whilst Draco and Bella bounded up the stairs to meet the family.

Together Draco and Bellatrix burst into the first room at the top of the stairs. Immediately they were met by bright flashes as two disarming spells were sent in their direction. Bella's shield was already there and the spells spiraled away harmlessly. The trio began a ferocious duel, the aurors were both tired and their reflexes were dulled by sleep yet they were still a match for Bellatrix. Draco quietly slipped out from behind his aunt and crept through the shadows until he was behind Alice Longbottom. He threw himself at her legs and she collapsed, her wand falling as she put out her hands to catch herself, a short tousle followed and Draco managed to grab the wand. Suddenly Bella shrieked and her wand soared out of her hand, Frank Longbottom leveled his wand at her and advanced, Draco made a split second decision and chucked Alice Longbottom's wand towards his aunt, she caught it easily and flicked a spell in Frank's direction. He slashed his wand through the air and Bella flew backwards through the doorway, he followed after her and their duel recommenced in the hall way where Draco couldn't see.

Draco's eyes raked around the room, it had once been very clean and bright with white walls, bed spreads curtains and furniture. Everything had been clean lines and sharp corners although the dueling had thrown everything out of place, there were burn marks on the wall and a pillow appeared to be turning itself slowly inside out; a nasty curse that Bella had always liked to use. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Alice crawling slowly through a snowdrift of feathers, he suddenly remembered Bellatrix's wand somewhere in the room and cursed his foolishness, what if Alice got it?

Draco held out his hand and spoke as clearly as he could through his mask, "Accio wand" it whizzed out from under the large double bed and flew towards him, it seemed to be aiming towards his hand but it over shot slightly and poked him hard in the ribs, winding him slightly. It was something he could work on later he thought to himself. Remembering the reason they had come he called out to Alice across the room; "tell me everything you know concerning the security at the ministry, the auror office, the dark lord, harry potter, Azkaban and the hunt for the remaining death eaters." She just looked up at him and smiled. "Crucio". She screamed. It was a scream of pain; it was the kind of scream that tears at the throat and leaves one coughing up blood. The curse faded. "Now would you like to speak?" she remained mute, although a small sob escaped her lips.

Alice Longbottom was breaking; he could see it in her eyes as she begged him to stop, one of her hands was knotted in his robes and a sudden convulsion pulled down his hood and made him fall to his knees beside her. Their eyes met for the first time and he heard her sharp intake of breath as she realized her torturer was only a young boy, roughly the same age as her son. Her lips moved and she pulled his ear to her mouth with surprising strength. "You shouldn't be involved in this, you have a lot more to lose than any other person on your side; you have an entire life ahead of you that will likely end up being wasted in a cell, you can still change your choices, you can still choose a better path, remember that, child death eater." He snarled at her and pulled his robes roughly out of her grasp. He aimed the wand between her eyes and spoke the torture curse as clearly as he could because although he would not show it her words had struck a nerve; he knew that he would eventually end up in a cell or dead if he didn't change soon. Alice Longbottom's screams suddenly changed and he knew that she had finally broken. The door slammed open behind him and purple uniformed aurors burst into the room with wands ready. Draco turned and dropped his wand; it landed with a sharp crack on the floorboards and rolled a few feet away from him, its slight curve preventing it rolling in a straight line. He didn't resist as the officials chained him and lead him out of the building, nor did he resist as they shoved him into a cold cell.

**Weeks later…**

Draco was very nervous, his Aunt Bella waited next to him and despite her calm exterior he knew her well enough to see the signs that she also was nervous. Her eyes were slightly wider than normal and the makeup underneath was slightly darker. Aunt Bella was never nervous, whether she was torturing muggles or confronting the dark lord, she was never nervous. Draco shifted on his feet and Bellatrix turned to look down at him. She knelt down looked him in the eyes, she had very nice eyes, "Draco, you need to listen to me, you'll be ok, they wont charge you, you can live your life, just don't tell anyone about the dark lord. I will see you again before I die, even if I have to beg, I promise. Now however we must compose ourselves, tell the truth and we will both be OK." She was babbling slightly and she knew it, but they both knew that at this time it was acceptable, she was only moments away from a life sentence in Azkaban prison. Suddenly the doors at the end of the corridor opened and light flooded in, temporarily blinding them both, Aunt Bella quickly stood and brushed the dirt off her skirts, a dementor stepped into the corridor and beckoned silently for the pair to come. Bellatrix held her head high and stepped confidently forwards towards the court room.

Bellatrix was a stunning woman; she had jet black hair that had been elaborately pinned up for the trial. Normally it hung down to her shoulder blades in a silky, wavy curtain, curling slightly around her ears and face. She was tall and straight; proud and dignified to the last, the epitome of a pureblood woman. She wore a black floor length dress with a round but low neckline. Over the entire bodice was black lace which extended past the collar line and up to her neck. It also hugged her arms right down to her wrists. At her waist was a thin black satin strap before the dress fell to the floor. Around her finger was coiled a silver snake ring, its glittering emerald eye blinked in the sudden light. Her skin was startlingly white against her black eyes and costume. She walked gracefully to the furthest chair and sat with her back straight and proud as a queen. As soon as Draco was also seated on his chair huge chains wrapped around his wrists, waist and feet, effectively securing him to the chair. Above him the minister for magic began to speak.

The minister then listed all the crimes of which Bellatrix was accused, pausing between each one to give her a chance to deny it, he then moved on to Draco's, although the list was shorter it was by no means short. The accusations were common; association with you-know-who, hindrance of justice… however the final crime was far more major; the torture of Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom. As soon as he paused to give Draco a chance to protest his innocence, Bellatrix spoke up. "If I may speak sir, I declare Mr. Malfoy innocent of this crime." The entire court room stirred and whispering broke out. The minister banged his hammer loudly to bring the court to order and the disturbance quickly settled.

"Mrs. Lestrange? You were both caught at the scene of the crime, all the evidence points to both of you being guilty"

"Minister, what I mean to say is that Mr. Malfoy is not guilty as charged because I was the one to commit this crime, Mr. Malfoy told me to stop but, as I am sure you understand, as a 5 year old child he was helpless to intervene. Consequently he is neither guilty of torture, nor is he guilty of Conspiracy as I did not confide in him the details of the plan, nor is he guilty of breach of hue and cry as he was under my duress between my capture and the crime." The entire court looked at Bella in surprise; she had just claimed responsibility for Draco's worst crime despite all the other facts pointing towards his involvement.

"Very well then, Mr. Malfoy is cleared of this charge, Mrs. Lestrange, you are further accused of the torture of Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom. In light of the crimes committed by Mrs. Lestrange, does the jury decide that life imprisonment in a high security cell in Azkaban prison is a suitable punishment?" the entire jury raised their hands. "So as is just, Bellatrix Lestrange is condemned to life imprisonment. In light of the crimes committed by Mr. Malfoy, does the jury decide that as a young offender, 2 months in Azkaban followed by parole for 6 years and mandatory attendance to Hogwarts School is a suitable punishment?" Although the jury was less certain of this the majority raised their hands. "So as is just, Draco Malfoy is condemned to 2 months in Azkaban followed up by 6 years parole. He shall also be required by law to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from age 11 until age 17. This trial is now closed" The chains that held Draco and Bellatrix clattered as they withdrew and the Dementors closed in to form a tight guard.

A single witch walked ahead of them through different set of doors, the corridor here was very dark and dank and slime glistened on the walls in the light cast by her wand and drips echoed loudly. They walked a good way down this tunnel before it suddenly came to a dead end, before them was a small alcove in the wall, the witch turned to them, "you will travel to Azkaban by flue powder, Azkaban is very rarely connected to the flue network so it will take a few moments to get connected." She paused and surveyed the two coldly; "I suggest you say your goodbyes here." Bellatrix knelt down and hugged Draco fiercely, he returned her he gesture, she whispered frantically in his ear; advice on surviving the dementors, instructions on what to do and how to act after Azkaban, what to do if she escaped, what to do if the Dark Lord came back, be nice to his mother and father… eventually she seemed to run out of things to say, then she suddenly pulled the silver snake ring of her finger.

"Keep it for me Draco; let it remind you of me." Suddenly the ministry official stood and pointed her wand at the alcove, a large fire flared into existence and six men stepped through, they were all grizzled men; the sort with short, peppered hair and yellow-black teeth and large, clumsy tattoos. One of them grabbed Bella by the back of her dress a dragged her off Draco. Another one dragged Draco to his feet and held him there with his arms pinned against his body. The witch handed a small roll of parchment to one of the men who grabbed it and began to read it out to the others;

"Bellatrix Lestrange nee. Black, female, 25, tall with long black hair, life in Azkaban in high security cell, escape risk." He paused, "Draco Malfoy, 5, short with short blond hair, 2 months in Azkaban high security, rescue risk." He then looked the two up and down and nodded to the witch. "Tak'em boys" He said as he disappeared in a roar of green flame. Bellatrix and Draco were shoved through after him.

They arrived in a warm, well furnished room. The grate they stepped out of had a small fire crackling merrily in it and several squashy armchairs in a loose circle. Draco hardly had time to glance at the room before his captor shoved him through into a different room. One of the six men stayed in the room by the fire whilst the others followed into the next. A man positioned himself by each of the two doors whilst the other moved behind a counter. The remaining man continued to hold Draco. The man behind the counter looked gloatingly at Bellatrix before saying, "hand over all your clothing, jewelry and anything else you may be carrying. The boy must do the same" he nodded to his colleague. Bella looked furious at the indignity of having to undress before these men; however she complied and neatly piled her clothes and possessions on the counter top. The prison guard then gave her a dirty and ragged dress to wear instead; prison uniform. Draco had to go through the same ordeal; however they did not have clothes in his size so he was only given a shirt which was long enough to be a dress on his skinny 5 year old frame. The pair were then brought out into a long corridor followed by thousands of stairs, Draco tried to count how many but lost count around 1000 because he wasn't sure what came next. Finally they came to a heavy door which the men opened. Bellatrix was shoved in roughly and she stumbled. The door was closing as she recovered and she pressed her face against the bars as Draco was led away.

"Write to me Draco!" she called out to him. He tried to turn and look at her but the prison guard smacked him hard around the head. He was shoved roughly into his cell several flight of stairs later. He took one look around the drab square and began to cry, he couldn't help it, he would never see Bella again he knew, and she had stood up for him, she had claimed all his crimes as her own. He had never thanked her.

**Roughly 6 years later…**

Draco stood with his family outside Ollivander's, they had already bought all of his books and this was their next stop. As they entered Ollivander stepped out of the shadows. He appeared to do a slight double take when he saw them although he quickly recovered. "Ah Mr. Malfoy, I suppose you are here looking for your wand?" Draco's mother nodded and Ollivander clicked his fingers. A silver tape measure flipped out and began to measure Draco. Ollivander quickly began to pull boxes from the shelves. He passed Draco the first wand in the pile, as soon as he touched it a flame jetted out the end and torched a small spider. Ollivander didn't seem surprised at this however he glanced at Narcissa and muttered something quietly before offering several more wands to Draco, he had tried over 100 wands by the time Ollivander gave up. He slumped against the counter and looked at Draco, frowning. Draco's parents exchanged worried glances. "Mr. Malfoy, have you ever performed magic with another wand?" Draco hesitated and looked at his parents; they nodded to him to continue. He nodded to Ollivander.

"Yes sir, I did use Bellatrix Lestrange's wand when I was about 5."

"Ah, Mrs. Lestrange, Walnut and Dragon Heart String, 12 ¾", unyielding, although very loyal and unlikely to change allegiance… there is a slight possibility that young Mr. Malfoy here may have earned the allegiance of Mrs. Lestrange's wand. I will now go to the Ministry to enquire, I will be back with you shortly." Ollivander left the room with a sharp crack and each member of the family stirred slightly, Draco avoided his mother's gaze.

When Ollivander returned he was holding a long wand with a slight bend near the handle. Draco took it cautiously; it felt familiar in his hand, like a long lost friend returned. He gave it an experimental wave but nothing happened, he tried again, nothing happened. Ollivander frowned again and took the wand back. He looked at Draco hard, suddenly he straightened and spoke. "I think I have it! Yes, how about this one…" He disappeared into the shop and returned holding a long thin black box. "Yes… try this." He lifted the lid and presented Draco with a long, thin pitch black wand. Draco grasped it ad was shocked by how cold the wand felt; almost as if it cooled its surroundings. As soon as he lifted it from its box he knew that this was his wand. It seemed to thrum slightly in his hand and Ollivander nodded his head solemnly. "Very curious indeed, Elder and Basilisk Venom, 13", unyielding. Your wand Mr. Malfoy is the only wand I have ever made by commission. Yes… one night you-know-who came to my house. He gave me a vial of Basilisk Venom; unlike many wands this wand does not have a 'core' as such, instead the wood has been soaked in the venom for several years, initially I tried woods such as cherry and apple to combat the venom however the only wood that worked was this elder. This is the most powerful wand I have ever made Mr. Malfoy, and it shows a considerable aptness for Dark magic, I think we can expect great things from you Mr. Malfoy, I can only hope you choose the right path."

**A couple of things in this, I didn't really know how to describe the death eater masks because I am pretty sure the animation keeps changing, anyway, in this story the death eater mask looks like a silver skull.**

**I changed Draco's wand, it is supposed to be Hawthorn and Unicorn Hair, 10 inches and pliant but I wanted something a little darker to represent his background and what is expected of him.**

**Also Bellatrix Lestrange is 10 years younger in this story because I wanted her to be more of an older sister and friend figure to Draco which would have been less likely if she was older, she is also now the younger sister of Andromeda and Narcissa.**

**Please R&R guys, I really appreciate the encouragement and I always find criticism useful.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3- A black shadow**

**Hermione Granger**

Hermione Granger was about to start her first year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She stood in line with the rest of her new year group. Many of them were shuffling and the rude one, Ron, was frantically trying to remove something from his nose, only succeeding in making his nose go red.

A woman entered the room, she was very tall and thin, her skin was aged and her grayed hair was pulled up into a severe bun at the nape of her neck yet her movement was smooth and she showed no signs or arthritis or the stiffness that comes with old age. She spoke with a faint Scottish accent and her voice matched her appearance; sharp and clear cut; a voice that expected to be obeyed.

She beckoned impatiently and the first years followed her through the same small door they had come through. They stopped before a set of mighty doors. The woman turned to speak to the assembled students, "Welcome to Hogwarts" she said, "the start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the great hall you will be sorted into houses. The sorting is a very important because whilst you are at Hogwarts your house will be like your family. You will take classes with them and you will share a common room. You may also earn points for your respective houses through good behavior, whilst bad behavior will result in a reduction of points. At the end of the year the house cup will be awarded to the house with the most points." Hermione drank in every word, she found herself hoping fervently that she was placed in Gryffindor; after all, all the greatest witches and wizards had been in Gryffindor, although Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. She wondered if there was a Wizarding god that she should pray to for luck.

The huge doors in front of her opened silently, before them was a magnificent room, at first glance it appeared open to the night sky, but one could just make out the faint shape of the rafters that held the roof up through the enchantment. 4 long tables dominated the main hall and on a raised dais at the far end was another long table that faced the ends of the 4 lower tables. Every table was laid out perfectly with exquisite gold plates and cutlery that reflected the light of millions of candles that hovered above their heads, lighting the room. The reflections caused the faces of the thousands of students to glow with a soft, heavenly light.

The first years walked quickly between 2 of the tables until they reached the dais where a stool awaited them, resting on the stool was a very old and very dirty hat. Hermione watched the hat curiously, wondering if this was some kind of trick, the entire school seemed to be waiting for something so Hermione waited for something special to happen. With a ripping sound a wide tear at the brim of the hat suddenly yawned open like a mouth and it began to sing. The hat sung a short song that explained the four houses and all they stood for. When the hat finished singing it bowed to each table in turn, then the entire school broke out in applause. Professor McGonagall stepped forwards again. "When I call your name you will step forwards and sit on the stool", at which point she gestured to the stool beside her "I will place the hat on your head and it will sort you into your house." She glanced at a large scroll in her hand and began to read off the names.

Hermione waited nervously as each student was sorted into their houses. When her name was called she almost skipped to the chair and jammed the hat on her head. "Ah" sighed a cool voice in her head. "Tricky, very clever, could be Ravenclaw, but my, such courage and bravery. Well I suppose it better be GRYFFINDOR!" that hat screamed its judgment to the waiting crowd and the table on the far right burst into applause. She skipped over and took a seat by the tall prefect and turned to watch the rest of the sorting.

Eventually her gaze was caught by a boy that stood out from the others. He was pale skinned and his robes were well cut. His name was called and he graciously accepted the hat from "MacDougal, Morag". MacDougal's fingers had barely left the hat in Malfoy's hands when it screamed "SLYTHERIN!"

**Next term…**

The first term at Hogwarts had been tiring to say the least. Hermione had quickly discovered that, like in the muggle world, knowledge did not mean everything, although it could get you pretty far… The two biggest challenges where getting around the school and the abuse she had been subject to several times already.

Getting around the school was sheer hell. The staircases were constantly moving, the doors also changed, some would lead to different places on a Friday whilst others would only open if you said please or were wearing orange. The portraits didn't help; they would keep visiting each other and shouting out the wrong directions. She was certain the suits of armor moved as well. Peeves however was the worst; he would pelt you with chalk, spill ink over your head, rip your bag and persuade doors and staircases to lead to different places. The only person he was really afraid of was the bloody baron; the catch was that most of the students were also too scared of him to ask for help.

Despite the difficulties in getting around Hermione found Hogwarts fascinating. The lessons were far more interesting than the usual Maths, English and Science. Now she learned Transfiguration, Charms and Potions. Transfiguration was easily her favorite lesson where they learned to change one thing into another. She had already managed to change her matchstick into a needle and was changing the colour and pattern of different materials. Charms was also fun, they could levitate objects and make things change size. Her least favorite lesson was potions. It was one of the two lessons they shared with the Slytherins and Snape clearly favored them.

Draco Malfoy was another of Hermione's problems. He walked around the school as if he owned the place with his two bodyguards flanking him at all times. He took every opportunity to patronize Hermione on her 'inferior upbringing'. He called her names and pretended to throw up every time they passed in the corridors and the inevitable entourage of Slytherins would laugh loudly.

Today was one of the Hogsmeade visit weekends for the 3rd years and above. They had left earlier that day so the castle was unusually quiet. The trio had decided to visit Hagrid in his hut on the grounds, they had also collectively decided that it would be a good idea to visit straight after lunch so as to not have to risk offending Hagrid by declining his rock cakes.

Earlier that day they had received a letter from Hagrid urging them to visit because he had something very important to show them. They hurried through the wide entrance hall and out into the Hogwarts grounds. They rushed down the side of the hill, giving a wide birth to the whomping willow and the tree that was currently home to some Cornish Pixies. They hurried to the small hut in the shadow of the forbidden forest.

Hagrid answered Hermione's first knock and opened the door slightly to let them in. The cabin was stiflingly hot; the small windows were closed and the fire roared in the grate. A large cauldron hung over the fire. Piles of dried plants were stacked around the walls whilst others hung from the ceiling, unicorn hair and something that looked suspiciously like a string of giant canine teeth hung among common cooking utensils. In one corner of the room was the large bed where Hagrid slept; It was covered by a thick patchwork quilt. Hermione sat back on the bench that ran around one side of the bench. Fang, Hagrid's hug dog, promptly deposited his head on her lap and began to drool. She rubbed him absently behind his ears as Hagrid carefully removed the cauldron and extracted something from beneath the surface of the water that boiled within.

A stone.

That's what was in the pot. It was large and grey and slightly speckled. Hermione frowned at it for a second then cast a quick glance at Harry to see if he got it. Hagrid watched them expectantly. "Err… Hagrid, I'm sorry, but what is it?" Harry asked the question they had all been wondering.

Hagrid didn't get to answer because suddenly the stone began to rock violently, cracks snaked over the surface, then with a sound like breaking glass it shattered. A small, slimy creature flopped out and landed on the table. It had a strange, long body with slender ribs that ran from a strange arrow shaped head down a nasty, spiked tail. Suddenly the little creature reared up and spread the ribs, not ribs, wings! She gasped in shock. The tiny, slimy brown creature was a dragon!

"Hagrid, that's a dragon! Isn't that illegal?" Exclaimed Ron, Hermione looked to Hagrid but he wasn't looking at the, he was an awful shade of green, his eyes wide, looking out the window.

"Someone was looking through the window" he answered, his voice slightly shell-shocked. Hermione stood and rushed to the door, she threw it open and saw the unmistakable shape of Draco Malfoy fleeing up the hill.

**A few weeks later…**

Hermione, Neville and Harry rushed down the grand staircase. Filch was already waiting for them in the entrance hall, Malfoy stood just behind him.

"Took your time getting here" remarked the caretaker. He cackled evilly as he turned and led them out into the dark grounds. The four students followed him down the path to Hagrid's hut. The hut was more frightening at night. The forest loomed behind it and Hermione was certain that eyes peered out at her from under the fringes of the forest. Filch knocked on Hagrid's door and the giant appeared. He carried a huge crossbow and fang was at his heels. Filch left reluctantly, as though he wanted to be part of the punishment, with the promise to return at dawn to 'collect what's left of them'.

Hagrid led the small group into the forest; he appeared to be looking for something. Eventually he stopped and loaded his crossbow with a slight click. He took a cautious look around them before beckoning to Hermione and Malfoy. They gathered close to him. He gestured to something at his feet; "Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least, Malfoy and 'ermione, you can take fang and go left. Neville, Harry and me will go right. If yer find it shoot red sparks in the air with yer wands"

The woods were very dark, the trees loomed over their heads and things seemed to move just out of the ring of light cast by their lantern. Unconsciously Hermione moved closer to Malfoy, the silver blood was becoming more frequent and the blotches were bigger. Suddenly they rounded a huge tree root and a clearing opened up before them. The moon lit reflected of an eerie fog that covered the ground, something was moving at the far end. She stepped forwards uncertainly; a black shadow rose from the ground, revealing the silvery-white unicorn beneath it. The unicorn was beautiful, its glossy coat shone and its long mane was strewn across the dirty ground behind the noble head. The cloaked shadow seemed to glide over the carcass and towards them. Fang whimpered and cowered before turning tail and running, leaving Hermione and Draco facing the wraith that slid towards them. Hermione backed slowly away from the creature until she bumped into someone solid behind her; Malfoy.

With a sudden snap of robes the Malfoy heir stepped around her and lifted his wand. He pointed it at the creature. "Don't come a step closer!" Hermione watched in awe as he held his arm steady and his voice didn't waver. The shadow paused in its approach. "Leave or I will destroy you!" shouted Malfoy. Hermione admired his courage; the wraith seemed to laugh to itself and continued to advance.

A red jet of light shot from Malfoy's wand and hit the center of the creature, it stumbled backwards a couple of meters then regained its balance just as a second red jet hit it again. It gave and anguished cry before it turned and fled into the trees.

Hermione took several deep breaths in an effort to regain her composure and eventually calmed enough to replay the episode in her mind. Malfoy walked over to the unicorn and crouched down beside its head. Hermione remembered the way he had stepped in front of her and shot the spells at the wraith. It occurred to her that he hadn't uttered a single word. She vowed to research that later in the library. Draco returned to her and shook his head; "It's long dead". Moments later there came a huge crashing noise in the woods and they both whipped out their wands. Hagrid emerged from the undergrowth and caught sight of the unicorn.

**Sorry to leave it so short guys but it's the end of philosopher's stone, time to start chamber of secrets! I can't wait for the next few chapters. I'm also sorry about the weird update, blame the computer.**

**I had to adjust the groups they went in to search for the unicorn so in one group; Hermione, Draco and Fang. In the other group; Neville, Harry and Hagrid.**

**Also, I do not own Harry Potter or his world, I'm just writing for my entertainment. **

**Please Review too, reviews quite honestly make my day.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4- Heir of Slytherin**

**Hermione Granger**

Hermione waited anxiously at the door of the train for Harry and Ron to join her. The platform was packed with returning students. A dazzling mixture of finely clad old pureblood Wizarding families, the plain-robed half blood families, awestruck muggles and the sea of pupils. The platform was loud with the chatter of thousands of people greeting each other and recounting their holidays at once, clouds of steam drifted across the platform.

The clock ticked steadily towards 11 and still she did not see Harry or Ron. The platform slowly emptied as students climbed onto the train. She watched as Fred and George enthusiastically greeted Lee Jordan and Neville's Grandmother scolded him for 'losing his toad again'. A flash of blond caught her eye and she watched as the crowd seemed to part in front of the Malfoy family. They were all tall with the same platinum blonde hair and finely tailored robes. They stopped only a couple of feet from where she leaned out of the train door. Mrs. Malfoy quickly bent and embraced her son before returning to standing tall again. Mr. Malfoy put his hand on Malfoy's shoulder and she heard him faintly talking; "Have a good year Draco, make sure to stay out of the way and let Salazar do his work though…" He snapped his fingers and 2 pitiful creatures dressed in rags appeared and lifted his trunk onto the train. His reply lost to the chatter of the station.

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Dong.

The huge clock struck 11 and there was a sudden crush at the doors as all along the train as students rushed to get aboard, Hermione still couldn't see Harry or Ron so she came to the conclusion that they were already on the train and would find here in the agreed carriage. She quickly checked the compartment number and settled into a seat to wait.

After half an hour the boys had still not arrived and she began to worry where they were. Suddenly the compartment door slid open and she was about to call out to ask where they had been when Draco Malfoy stepped into the compartment. He leaned against the door of the compartment and sighed in relief before realizing that it was already occupied.

"Granger" He smirked at her before realizing that she was crying. "Merlin, Granger! Are you ok? Wait, where are Potty and Weasel?" He frowned at the lack of the two boys and tensed up at the thought that at any moment they might burst through the door but Hermione only broke into fresh sobs and Malfoy shifted awkwardly. "Well I'm trying to avoid Pansy and she's in the next door compartment so I can't really get out without her seeing so I hope you don't mind if I sit." He plonked himself down opposite her and began to watch the scenery.

Slowly Hermione began to regain control of herself. She didn't know what would happen to Harry and Ron now that they had missed the train, would they still be allowed to come to Hogwarts? Suddenly she realized that she had more immediate problems in the form of the blond boy opposite her. He was watching her curiously although his eyes kept flicked to the window when he saw she was looking back at him. After a while of watching the scenery she pulled out a book from the bag at her feet and began to read.

A knock at the door startled them both and it slid open to reveal the plump face of the trolley lady. "Anything of the trolley dears?" she inquired politely and Hermione shook her head, Draco however took a small pile of chocolate frogs and a small handful of sugar quills. He settled back on his seat as the woman slid the compartment door shut. He opened the first chocolate frog and flipped over the card.

"_Bathilda Bagshot, author of a history of magic_" he mumbled, then he swore loudly and turned to Hermione. "You wouldn't happen to have a quill, parchment, ink and a copy of a history of magic I could borrow?" he asked. Hermione frowned.

"Why?"

"Because I just realized I haven't done Binns' homework." Hermione sighed and retrieved the book and some parchment from her trunk. She rooted around a moment before sighing and pulling out a muggle ball point pen. She handed it to Malfoy.

"Sorry, I can't get to any quills or ink so is this ok?"

"What's this do?" he frowned at the pen for a second then looked unsurely at Hermione.

"I forgot you wouldn't know! It's like a muggle quill, but it doesn't need to be dipped in ink," she explained, gesturing for him to remove he lid. He drew a squiggly line on the back of his hand and nodded his approval. Then took out his wand and tapped the pen. He set it carefully on its point and it remained upright. Hermione watched in interest as he opened 'A history of magic' and began to dictate passages from the text. The pen copied everything he said perfectly.

Half an hour later the pen finished writing and dropped suddenly to the parchment. Malfoy picked up the pen and book and gave them back to her. "Thanks Granger, don't want to get on a teachers bad side on the week we get back" Hermione nodded her agreement and replaced the items in her trunk. She pondered Malfoy for a second before bursting out;

"How did you do that? With the pen I mean" Malfoy frowned slightly and gestured to his wand.

"It's surprisingly easy charm, sort of like the ones on the quills reporters use…"

"What is it?"

"The incantation is _Audite Scribe _and you have to sort of imagine yourself writing as you speak" Hermione nodded her understanding and they both returned to watching the scenery outside.

**Halloween night…**

Harry, Ron and Hermione rushed up the stairs away from the congregation of teachers in Lockhart's office. When they reached the common room they crashed into their favourite chairs by the fire.

"D'you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?"

"No," said Ron, without hesitation. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."

Something in Ron's voice made Harry ask, "You do believe me, don't you?"

"Course I do," said Ron quickly. "But -you must admit it's weird ...

"I know it's weird" said Harry. "The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber Has Been Opened... What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Ron slowly. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once ... might've been Bill . . . ." Suddenly Hermione remembered where she had heard something about the chamber of secrets and without explaining to Harry or Ron she rushed up to her dorm. She pulled out a worn, heavy tome and hurried back to the boys. Crashing into the squashy armchair opposite them she banged the book down on the table.

"I know I saw it in here somewhere" she said as she leafed frantically through the pages. "here it is!"

"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic." The boys frowned at her;

"So this Heir of Slytherin is at Hogwarts now?" Ron spoke slowly, as if he disbelieved everything he was saying.

"Well, I guess so, but who can it be though? Who hates all the squibs and muggle borns that much?"

"Let's think, who do we know that thinks that every muggle born in this school is scum?" Ron asked sarcastically. The other two looked unconvinced, "Think about it, his family are the darkest family in the Wizarding world and have been in Slytherin for years; the secret could have been passed down, father to son, for years."

"But how would we prove it?"

Hermione was silent for a couple of seconds, looking between the two of them, then she leaned forwards and whispered so that Percy wouldn't hear; "Polyjuice potion. It changes your appearance into someone else; we use it to change into 3 Slytherins and ask Malfoy if he knows anything about the chamber."

**Christmas Eve…**

The potion bubbled evilly in its cauldron over a toilet. It was a thick murky brown and bubbles rose to the surface before popping with a glop noise. The trio watched as Hermione added the last ingredient to the cauldron. She ladled it out into 3 glasses and they each dropped in their hair. Hermione held up her glass; "to uncovering the heir!" she toasted and then downed half the glass. For a second nothing happened then she bent over double as something seemed to twist in her abdomen. She dropped the glass and rushed into the toilet as her face began to itch unbearably, her eyes teared up and her nails felt like they were falling off.

Eventually the transformation stopped, her skin felt less like it was peeling off and she turned to look in the mirror. A small whimper escaped her throat as she took in her appearance. It wasn't Millicent Bulstrode's ugly face that looked back at her. Her face was framed in long hairs whilst her face was covered in a fine layer of almost black hair, her eyes were a feline yellow. Something moved behind her and she spun, nothing was there. A movement caught the corner of her eye and she spun again; nothing but the mirror, she shadow was over her shoulder and a thought occurred to her. She reached behind her a felt something long and bushy, similar to a feather duster… or a tail!

**Draco Malfoy**

**A couple of minutes later…**

Draco strode down the frigid dungeon corridor; although he was searching for Crabbe and Goyle they were not what occupied his mind. He was thinking about granger; he couldn't figure her out. She was a filthy little mudblood Gryffindork, yet somehow she was the best in the year. She was less advanced than him in most areas of magic although she as still a better person. He knew why he had sat with her on the train; Alice Longbottom's words still echoed in his mind, even 7 years later. Granger was the epitome of the light. He didn't exactly regret the time in the carriage, he was merely confused about how she fit into the hierarchy of the Wizarding world.

He saw a sudden movement by the entrance to the common room and called out.

"Crabbe, Goyle what are you doing lurking around here?" As he approached them he saw a tall figure behind them, a tall figure with a shock of red hair. "Weasel? Shouldn't you be up with the rest of your Gryffindork friends?" He sneered at the prefect and turned to the wall, muttering the password. The bricks shifted to reveal an archway into the familiar common room. He strode down the long room to the carved mantle piece. A small group of 3rd years sat in the chairs around the elaborate fire place and Draco glared at them for a moment. They vacated quickly with several muttered apologies and Draco gestured to Crabbe and Goyle to sit in their place.

Draco moved to one of the small tables and picked up a small square of folded newspaper. He unfolded it and glanced quickly at the title and laughed unpleasantly. Tossing the little cutting to Crabbe he began to unwrap a small silver package. Crabbe turned a nasty shade of Puce. "Weasley loves muggles so much he might as well snap his wand in half and join them, along with Dumbledore. I mean only a fool like him would let slime like that Creevey in." Goyle's guffaw of laughter was a little slow and the part of his brain that was trained by his Aunt Bella began to sound alarm bells. He paused slightly before adding, "I wish I knew who was behind those attacks though; I could help." He twirled his black wand between his fingers." Abruptly both Crabbe and Goyle jumped up and sprinted the full length of the common room, hollering something about medicine. Draco frowned, his suspicions confirmed.

He turned to the desk and picked up a quill and ink and began to write a letter to Bella in prison, he explained the situation to her, he remembered his stint in Azkaban with a shudder and resolved to write to her more often, he addressed the letter and slipped in the cutting from the news paper. He took the letter up to the owlery and called down his black gyrfalcon. She swooped down to a lower perch and he stroked her head affectionately before passing her the letter. She clamped it in her talons and flew out the window in a rush of wings.

**Not really many scenes I wanted to do for chamber of secrets. If there are any you want to read specifically just tell me and I will repost this chapter with those scenes in. I promise things will get more interesting.**

**I do not own Harry Potter, J K Rowling does. The only bit I own is the stuff you don't recognize.**

**Oh yeah, Draco has a black gyrfalcon instead of an eagle owl. If you're wondering it looks like this: ** gyr_ 


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